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11/9/99
“Killer” Kelley Double-Strike Fires “A Team” To Twelfth Title
by Jeremy Ruane
A double-strike from US Olympic Development Training Programme graduate Jennifer Kelley broke the hearts of Wairarapa at QE2 Park in Christchurch on September 11, 1999, as Auckland ran out 2-1 winners in the final of the 24th National Women’s Soccer Tournament.
The “A Team” dominated the early exchanges, Wairarapa goalkeeper Pam Yates producing a splendid save to deny Amy Goaziou’s swerving fourth minute free-kick, a strike which the goalkeeper could only have seen at the last second. From the resulting corner, Michele Cox’s delivery to the near post was headed over by Sacha Haskell.
Five minutes later, Maia Jackman’s pace down the right allowed her to get in a cross to the far post, which Kelley headed over. The talented American, two minutes later, showed great technique in intercepting a Kim Nye throw-in, killing the ball with one touch before releasing Amanda Crawford. The tournament’s top goalscorer’s cross was partially cleared to Goaziou, who sent the ball sizzling over the angle of post and crossbar.
In the nineteenth minute, the “A Team” deservedly opened the scoring. Crawford gathered the ball on the right, turned her marker and gained three yards in an instant. Her low cross to the near post was met by Kelley, who steered the ball beyond Yates and into the net via the far upright.
To this point, Wairarapa had hardly had a look-in, as Auckland took the game by the scruff of the neck and set about dictating terms in much the same manner they had done throughout the week. In the 25th minute, Kelley and Crawford combined to release Goaziou down the left. Her cross this time flew beyond Crawford, and Nye, playing her very last match before retiring, cleared.
The Central North Island team, like Auckland, unbeaten in seven games prior to this final, showed signs of life in the 28th minute when Wendi Henderson picked out the unmarked Nicky Smith with a free-kick. From ten yards, the Young Player of the Tournament headed wide.
This prompted Auckland to launch further raids on Wairarapa’s goal. Goaziou, like Kelley a US ODTP graduate, featured in a well-constructed attack on the half-hour, which resulted in Sacha Haskell sending a twenty-five yarder inches over the crossbar.
Two minutes later, a flowing six-player move broke down at the penultimate hurdle, Jackman failing to deliver the quality cross which Crawford was anticipating. Two minutes later, the same pair combined again, with Crawford this time guilty of spoiling Auckland’s attack, handling Jackman’s cross as she looked to beat Yates at the near post.
Right on the interval, Wairarapa came close to scoring a goal
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which would have come very much against the run of play to that point. Nye sent the ball forward to Wendi Henderson, who flicked it down for namesake Leonie. Goaziou was on hand to hook clear on this occasion, while Cox did the same moments later, as Auckland somehow scrambled a Lisa Gibson corner to safety.
Not done with yet, however, the “A Team” finished the half on attack, Kelley releasing Crawford down the right. The Player of the Tournament returned the compliment seconds later, with Kelley’s drive looping over Yates, and over the crossbar as well, the ball landing on the net’s roof.
Spurred on by a disappointingly small crowd - just over half of the fourteen teams who took part in the tournament throughout the week were represented - Wairarapa took the game to Auckland in the second half, and found the “A Team”’s defensive structure somewhat ill-at-ease.
The usually composed trio of SWANZ captain Terry McCahill, Jennifer Carlisle and Jill Corner were somewhat rattled during this period, as Smith and Wendi Henderson probed and, with Michele Keinzley, looked to capitalise on the numerous efforts which their promptings forced.
Straight from the kick-off, McCahill was caught in possession by Smith, who whipped in a cross from the right. Jackman, tracking back to cover Adrienne Bain’s run, headed the ball away, but it cannoned off the retreating Corner towards the net. Yvonne Vale, who had made just one save all tournament prior to this match, was alert to the danger, and quickly quelled it.
After Crawford, Jackman and Haskell had combined to engineer an opening for Cox, which she volleyed narrowly wide from twenty yards, Wairarapa pressed again, forcing a corner which Gibson drilled into the zone. Smith headed the ball across the face of goal, and Leonie Henderson hooked it back from the far post to Keinzley, who headed the ball straight at Vale.
Auckland counter-attacked instantly, this in the 49th minute. Kelley and Crawford led the charge which resulted in Goaziou drilling a shot hard and low across goal, much to Yates’ relief.
The goalkeeper, seconds later, plucked the ball off Crawford’s head, as Goaziou crossed to the near post during a spell in which the “A Team” were reduced to ten players, Tarah Cox receiving a broken nose following a clash of heads with team-mate Haskell.
Wairarapa, encouraged by Auckland’s defensive frailty, pressed again in the 56th minute, and forced an error by Carlisle. Her under-hit back-pass was pounced on by Keinzley, whose shot was blocked by Vale. The rebound fell to Smith, whose drive cannoned to safety off Corner.
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Gibson’s booming corners had caused problems galore in Auckland’s goalmouth to this point, and her 57th minute effort was no different. The “A Team” survived this time, but Keinzley was on hand to whip in a cross for Smith, who flung herself at the ball, but could not direct it on target.
With Auckland seemingly content to counter-attack, Wairarapa had to be wary in defence, as was proved in the 63rd minute. Yates had grabbed a Goaziou cross to the near post, but the final debutantes - indeed, this was just the second National Tournament which Wairarapa had contested - didn’t clear the ball adequately on this occasion, allowing Kelley and Jackman to engineer a one-two on the right. Gibson’s block was a vital one.
With McCahill caught out of position, Smith sent Henderson charging through with a well-weightedpass which saw the SWANZ international hold off a challenge before drilling a shot low to Vale’s left. The ‘keeper flung herself across and pawed the ball away, recovering quickly to divert Keinzley’s shot, from the rebound, to safety.
From this, Auckland counter-attacked again, this time with telling effect. Smith’s corner was headed clear, and the “A Team”, led by Cox, broke quickly. Playing her 112th game in the blue-and-white of her province, the SWANZ playmaker split Wairarapa’s defence wide open with a sumptuous through ball which left Kelley one-on-one with Yates.
With the ‘keeper advancing towards her, the striker took on the challenge, and calmly steered the ball beyond Yates and inside her right-hand post - 2-0 to the defending champions, Kelley’s “killer” second strike effectively securing Auckland the crown for a third straight year.
Not that Wairarapa ever gave up, as Smith’s 69th minute corner picked out Wendi Henderson’s head, only for the striker to direct her effort straight at Vale. But the vast majority of the last ten minutes saw Auckland gain the ascendancy once more, both Rebecca Sowden and Haskell going close in this period.
Wairarapa’s moment of glory was still to come, however, and after McCahill had got a vital touch on a Leonie Henderson cross which seemed destined for Keinzley’s right foot, the 1999 runners-up got the goal their efforts deserved, Wendi Henderson unleashing a twenty-five yard piledriver of a free-kick which Vale got her hands to, but couldn’t prevent from crossing the line.
It was the only goal the “A Team” had conceded all week long, and was to remain so, as the final whistle sounded moments later, ending a week in which at least six tournament records had been broken. The majority of these were achieved by Auckland, a side which, as a result of its efforts over the past seven days, thoroughly deserves the mantle it carries for a twelfth time - champions.
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Auckland: Vale; Corner, McCahill, Carlisle; Jackman, M. Cox, T. Cox (Sowden, 53), Haskell, Goaziou (Simpson, 79); Crawford, Kelley
Scoring: J. Kelley (19, 67) W. Henderson (Wairarapa, 80)
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